As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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What a great last day (except not being picked to open Epcot)! Love all the pictures! Glad you and Josie had a great mother/daughter trip! Looking forward to you final thoughts!
Great last day - maybe I should try running round the kiddie play areas before I fly home, I'd like to sleep all the way home Sorry it's over but at least you'll be heading back soon. I took a solo trip in 2004 and when hubby and I went back together, I couldn't wait to show him everything I did. Looking forward to your final thoughts
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How bitter sweet that last day is. Looks like you managed to squeeze in as much fun as possible. We might have to check out POR/POFQ someday. We haven't talked much about our next trip or where we're going to stay except it will not be a value. POR/POFQ is definitely on my list after seeing those princess rooms and the playgrounds!
Sure seems like Josie was a bit tired out on the plane. Pictures of sleeping children are always so sweet.
So sad that it is over. The picture of her pouting on the bus is just precious! I think we all have that pout when we leave WDW. You have some fabulous pictures and memories from this trip! Thanks so much, I enjoyed reading your TR.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
How did I manage to get so far behind? What a great trip you two had! And you BOTH look like supermodels in your photos. Makes me even more self-conscious of myself - I look the same in every picture! Sounds like letting Josie set the pace worked well for you. And I love that she wants to bring the boys back. Good idea! Can't wait for your final thoughts.
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
You took that picture of Josie with your phone?!?! WOW!
Great last day! I'm glad you had some great mommy/daughter time with Josie. Sorry that it's all over, but I know you were glad to get home to your boys!
What a fantastic last day!!
And the boys loved their postcard from their "Disney pals". So did I.
And since I teared up a few times during this last post I know Dawn will too.
Awww, can't believe your trip is over. What a great time you and Josie had.
I can't tell ya how priceless those pics of Josie and the Princesses are. You can just see such pure joy in her. What a great memory for you both!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Awesome TR, looks like your last two days were just what Josie wanted to do. Loved all your pictures you both look so beautiful. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
POR: Keep in mind my family is a lover of the Poly and GF, and most recently BC. Arnaud loves the access of the monorail and I love just about every other amenity those resorts offer too. I stayed once at CBR and hated it. The internal bus stops bothered me, the size of the resort was huge and I just never really liked it. So that put a bad taste in my mouth I guess for all the other mods. I have always heard people say great things about POR and POFQ I was excited to try that out on this trip and of course the new Royal rooms couldn’t hurt either. The whole place really blew me away. The RGR was nice and for those of you who have boys, I don’t think they would mind the room one bit because they aren’t frilly and frou-frou, just royal and regal and the only “in your face” princess stuff would be the pics on the one wall. I could see how maybe the size of the room could feel small to some and the linens sure aren’t anything to write home about, but really when you are dog tired, it doesn’t much matter. I did feel like the room was dark but that was really because I never opened the blinds all the way because I just didn’t like how anyone could be walking by and literally look right in on us.
The grounds are beautiful there and the main building was so pretty inside and smelled just like the BC to me. The pools were amazing and that playground was just the icing on the cake. I wish I would have found that sooner or pushed Josie to go to the big pool that one day. She won’t stop talking about the room, the playground or the main pool now. She wants to bring the boys back to that place!! We are booked at GF for Sept and I asked Arnaud if he wanted to switch and save some major $$$$$, but he said we will talk about that once Andre is at the age where we have to start paying for him. Now that was me, a deluxe girl asking the hubs to switch a GF ressie. That is how much I liked the place! So now with Josie not knowing about the fall trip and her keep asking to take the boys back to the princes room I have to keep reminding her of things she likes at GF. This could lead to trouble.
DINING: I had booked 2 ADR’s for this trip. One for CDF and another for the Plaza. I wound up cancelling the Plaza in favor of going to Casey’s. Our CDF ADR was just so-so. It was later than we would normally eat and we never saw Remy, and to be honest, that was my only reason for going there. The place was fine, but I don’t feel the need to rush back anytime soon. However our sweet little lunch at PVH was great! I do think the magic time for thinking about lunch while in the parks has to be just before 11am. We get an early start so we are more than hungry by that point, and I was pleased with our meal here, but more so our seat. I’m sure at a later time, we would have never scored those seats. LI in WS was another winner for us too. Eating outside around 8pm again was another great time because most normal people would be scoping out a spot for Illuminations, we had great burgers and great conversation. Win!!
PARKS: In the end I think we could have done without going to DHS this trip, but then our most magical moment of the trip would have never happened, so I can’t really say that I guess. My friend and the awesome performer who put that together for us are truly the best! I can’t thank them enough. MK, as always was great. I did feel like it was super busy during this trip, I mean busy too! I was bummed I didn’t get Josie on Splash, but it’s OK, there will be more times to get that first ride on that in, plus I think daddy would have liked to see that too. Am I bummed about missing Wishes? Sure! But I know Josie was done at that point. Every memory I have thus far of watching Wishes has always been a great one, I didn’t want to ever ruin that memory, so I was OK with not picking a battle over that. If you ask Josie now what her favorite part of the trip was, she will always say riding Goofy’s roller coaster, which is funny to me because her choice of what to do on our last day was to go see the Fairy houses and butterflies again, and also Nemo. In the end, I am glad she chose that. Goofy’s roller coaster will always be there, the displays from the F&GF won’t, so I think she chose wisely. We didn’t get all the stamps in the passport done and we did miss Illuminations, but the things that we did get to do and see will far outweigh that, and so again….I’m good.
I wanted to thank you all for the nice comments about how I followed her lead for this whole trip, but we do kinda do that on most of our trips anyway. With having another adult with you, I guess you can push a little more. Someone to hold the sleeping kid while you fold up the stroller is helpful I guess, but we have always been lazy park people I think. We like to take Disney as relaxed as you could. That sounds funny, right? Life is always so crazy and busy, I don’t need my WHOLE vacation to be that way too. We get done what we can and take the time to enjoy our resort choices too.
MY PP FAMILY: I mean that when I say that, family is like what most of you have become and with the help of Kelly and Dawn I was able to keep you all updated on this trip. I have been so lucky to meet them on here and become close to each of them. Dawn living just 2 short hrs. away is amazing. Meeting for coffee or getting together for drinks with the husbands is the best. I cherish that friendship and am happy for PP to have found her.
Kelly, well she needs to be closer so we can meet in person!! I have a small confession……….not even she knows this. I can’t be certain, but I feel like I have spotted her in Disney once. Before I was really into PP, ya know that beginning phase where you comment here and there but haven’t really made any real connections with people. I think we had overlapping trips one Dec and I am pretty sure I saw her walking out of Cosmic Rays as we were sitting in there eating. It was a MVMCP night and that is about all I remember. Makes me so mad now, because even if it wasn’t her…….who gives a crap, I should have run over to her like a maniac and said….”OH TOODLES” and just wait to see if she turned around. Moral to that story is……PP’ers……..if you think you see one of us……….take the awkward step and see if it is who you think it may be, could lead to an awesome friendship, and you may never get the chance again.
PHOTOS: A lot of you have asked about that pic I took of Josie in front of the castle…………..and yes, it was on my phone that I did that. I took every pic this trip with my phone. That pic alone came out really cool, but I tweaked it on Instagram. OH, what is Instagram??? Got me??? It’s an app on my phone and I think it may be like a twitter, IDK. But anyway you can play with some settings and tweak some photos with colors or what not, that is how I got the faded look on that. So if you have an Iphone, look into Instagram…………..then report back to me on what it’s really all about.
I am still basking in the memories of this trip. I never thought I would have done a girls only trip with my best gal and the way this all fell into place, and with the big push I needed from My Dawn….I couldn’t have been happier. I was all worried getting close to the trip that this would take away from our family trip in Sept, but it didn’t and it won’t. Josie is now more than excited to bring her baby brother back and show him the ropes ,Arnaud was so happy to see all the pics and hear of all the details. I am lucky to have him, because he was also great in pushing us to go, because without him I wouldn’t have been able to do so. Josie has this thing she says to us and she said it to me about 100 times while we were away………….” I love ya too much, too much”. I really do think she knew what an awesome experience this was. The smile on her face was priceless and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. But I guess that is the burning question…………….will we?? I don’t know, but I sure wouldn’t be against it!
I wouldn’t be against it because if it can save us money on future trips, I think it’s a win /win. As most of you know our trip for the fall was a BB offer for free dining. While we were at POR I noticed the new BB was for 30%. I called and was able to switch the discount around without having to change our dates and I saved some serious $$$$ so I like to tell Arnaud that this trip was actually in the end a brilliant idea!!!!
Thank you so much for following along with me and my gal. Until next time friends!!!!
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Looking forward to you final thoughts! 
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Sorry it's over but at least you'll be heading back soon. I took a solo trip in 2004 and when hubby and I went back together, I couldn't wait to show him everything I did. Looking forward to your final thoughts 
,
What a great trip you two had! And you BOTH look like supermodels in your photos. Makes me even more self-conscious of myself - I look the same in every picture! Sounds like letting Josie set the pace worked well for you. And I love that she wants to bring the boys back. Good idea! 
PassPorter Guide Author
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
! So now with Josie not knowing about the fall trip and her keep asking to take the boys back to the princes room I have to keep reminding her of things she likes at GF. This could lead to trouble.
, and to be honest, that was my only reason for going there. The place was fine, but I don’t feel the need to rush back anytime soon. However our sweet little lunch at PVH was great
! I can’t thank them enough. MK, as always was great. I did feel like it was super busy during this trip, I mean busy too
! I was bummed I didn’t get Josie on Splash, but it’s OK, there will be more times to get that first ride on that in, plus I think daddy would have liked to see that too. Am I bummed about missing Wishes? Sure! But I know Josie was done at that point. Every memory I have thus far of watching Wishes has always been a great one, I didn’t want to ever ruin that memory, so I was OK with not picking a battle over that. If you ask Josie now what her favorite part of the trip was, she will always say riding Goofy’s roller coaster, which is funny to me because her choice of what to do on our last day was to go see the Fairy houses and butterflies again, and also Nemo. In the end, I am glad she chose that. Goofy’s roller coaster will always be there, the displays from the F&GF won’t, so I think she chose wisely. We didn’t get all the stamps in the passport done and we did miss Illuminations, but the things that we did get to do and see will far outweigh that, and so again….I’m good.
? Life is always so crazy and busy, I don’t need my WHOLE vacation to be that way too. We get done what we can and take the time to enjoy our resort choices too.
I was able to keep you all updated on this trip. I have been so lucky to meet them on here and become close to each of them. Dawn living just 2 short hrs. away is amazing. Meeting for coffee or getting together for drinks with the husbands is the best. I cherish that friendship and am happy for PP to have found her
. 
. I can’t be certain, but I feel like I have spotted her in Disney once. Before I was really into PP, ya know that beginning phase where you comment here and there but haven’t really made any real connections with people
, could lead to an awesome friendship, and you may never get the chance again.
??? Got me??? It’s an app on my phone and I think it may be like a twitter, IDK. But anyway you can play with some settings and tweak some photos with colors or what not, that is how I got the faded look on that. So if you have an Iphone, look into Instagram…………..then report back to me on what it’s really all about
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